168 7 THE VARIOUS: ACCOUNTS, [N°. 41. ] 
amusing himself, though there were several boats not far from him.” 
“QQ. Did you see more than one?” 
(4.4 did not: 
“Q. How many persons saw it?” 
“A, There were fifteen or twenty persons near where I was” 
“Epes Ellery.” 
Essex ss. August, 25, 1817. Personally appeared Epes Ellery, 
and made oath to the truth of the foregoing facts by him subscribed. 
“Cor. Lonson Nash, Jus. Pacis.” 
Not a single fact which has not been stated before. 
MSE. — 1817, August 14. — (See also n°. 41 on p. 164 and 
n°. 41 on p. 167.) — (Report of a Committee, 1817). 
“T, William H. Foster, of Gloucester, in the county of Essex , 
merchant , depose and say: That on the fourteenth day of August, 
A. D. 1817, I first saw an uncommon sea-animal, that I believe 
to have been a serpent, in the harbour in said Gloucester. When 
I first discovered him, his head was above the surface of the water, 
perhaps ten inches, and he made but little progress through the 
water. He was apparently shaded with light colours. He afterwards 
went in different directions, leaving on the surface of the water, 
marks like those made by skating on the ice. Then he would 
move in a Straight line west, and would almost in an instant, 
change his course to east, bringing his head, as near as I could 
judge, to where his tail was; or in fact, to the extreme hinder 
part visible, raising himself as he turned, six or eight inches out 
of water, and shewing a body at least forty feet in length.” 
Its being shaded with light colours is already mentioned by 
PontroprrpaN. Its leaving a wake behind it has already been stated 
many times, and will often be stated afterwards. Also its mode 
of turning, giving to its body the form of a staple.” 
41 — 1817, August 14.— (See also n°. 41 on p. 164, p. 167, 
p. 168.) — Report of a Committee, 1817.). , 
“IT, Matthew Gaffney, of Gloucester, in the County of Essex, 
ship carpenter, depose and say: That on the fourteenth day of. 
August, A. D. 1817, between the hours of four and five o'clock 
